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SpamExperts Top Software Updates 2nd Quarter 2016

June is coming to an end and so is the second quarter of 2016, meaning that it’s time for another Software Updates blog post. We’ve been hard at work adding new features and improving old ones, implementing new ways to combat spam, phishing attempts, and other such hazards.

Before we go in-depth, talking about what’s new in our software, Frontend/GUI, and Plugins & Integration, we want to thank our awesome development team for the great updates this quarter.

Archive Indexing Upgrades

The SpamExperts email archiving product allows searching within not just the text content in emails, but also the message headers, text found in images attached to messages, and text in PDF and Microsoft Word attachments. Via the Control Panel, clients can now disable and re-enable indexing of each type of content via the archive “Settings” page for each domain.

Custom Cluster Configuration

We have implemented new capabilities in the way we support server roles within the cluster. We now allow the use of multiple logging servers or quarantine servers when needed. This is especially useful on large clusters that use multiple servers for a single role to help with the logging and quarantining tasks.

SSO for LDAP

As of June, we have added the possibility to use SSO against an LDAP server. Basically, what this entails is that email users can log in to the web interface using their credentials in the company’s own internal system, by authenticating against an LDAP server.

For more information about LDAP authentication, please check this article.

UI Improvements

Upgraded Attachment Restrictions Page

The “Attachment Restrictions” page has received a few new features that will improve the user experience, such as the option to block potentially unwanted attachments and those messages that contain many defects. To better convey the functionality of the “Block dangerous attachments” option, we renamed it to “Block attachments that contain hidden executables”.

Furthermore, we’ve reorganised the “Blocked Extensions” section, so that it’s easier to work with.

Locking Senders from the Control Panel

SpamExperts clients can now immediately lock the problematic user directly from the web interface so that they aren’t able to do any more damage while they contact them to resolve the problem.

For a step by step tutorial, please refer to our Knowledgebase article. (check Locking senders based on the Identity header within the Control Panel chapter)

New/Updated Features

Verify Domain Ownership

We’ve created a new method to verify ownership of a domain without implying that the control panel give access to all domain level users. For incoming filter, it’s pretty straightforward, but for outgoing, things got a little bit trickier. The new method simply lets a user (at domain level or higher) demonstrate that he/she controls the DNS for a domain, by adding a simple CNAME record. This functionality is found on the dashboard in the “Domains” section, under “Domain ownership”. In later updates, we will be making use of this functionality to provide secure and private access to the outgoing filter users’ mail at levels lower than super-user.

Select Archived Message Download

There’s a new feature available for users to easily download a range of messages that match whatever search criteria they choose. The download will happen in the browser, and users will be delivered a .zip archive that contains the message in the standard RFC 5322 format. It’s the most convenient method of retrieving specific messages quickly, rather than using the more complex export functionality to get the bulk of messages, all at once.

Exposed Statistics Page at the Admin Level

The “Manage Admins” page in the web interface has been updated to show admins and their sub-admins. A super-admin will be able to see a list of all admins and their related sub-admins in the cluster.

Plugins and Integration

We have added documentation for a new plugin with HostBill, a leading Billing & Automation platform. Check this article for details. Our partners at HostBill have provided the integration and are currently maintaining it to be as smooth as possible. The integration is aimed at two user levels, Reseller and Single User.

Significant improvement updates have been added to the APS 2.0 add-on, which can be viewed in the public GitHub.

We constantly seek new ways to maintain our products and deliver industry standard software and service. Any feedback is welcome as we aim to provide a tailored user experience for our clients, whilst effectively combating spam.

Until our next quarterly technical update, stay safe and simply spam free. Drop us a comment in the section below and spread the word on social media.